Driving the BMW Hydrogen 7
BMW decided that it would do its hydrogen vehicle in a different way than most. Rather than building a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, BMW chose to stick with what it already knew well, internal combustion engines. Set to debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show at the end of this month, the resulting Hydrogen 7 uses a dual-mode drive that is driver selectable at the flip of a switch.
The 6-liter V-12 can run on either hydrogen or premium gasoline. It only produces 260 horsepower, but that's still enough to get it from 0-62 mph in less than 10 seconds. Using both the 19.5-gallon gas tank, and another tank that stores 17.6 lbs. of liquid hydrogen, the range is about 400 miles, or 125 on Hydrogen alone. If you run low on hydrogen, the computer will switch you over to gasoline automatically.
But you already knew most of this if you read our post on the Hydrogen 7 last month. Wired News just got their hands on one (lucky dogs), and did an excellent review of the experience, which is what brings the car to our attention again today. Follow the jump for more details and click the read link for the complete writeup.
[Source: Wired]
Basically it felt like what it is, a 7 Series packing an extra 550 pounds. A bit slower and softer because of the necessary hydrogen tank and cooling apparatus. Major hurdles in hydrogen storage and distribution remain, but having the option of running on gasoline is what makes this 7 a winner. You can run it as a normal gas-powered car until the infrastructure improves.
Although much cleaner than a gas engine, burning hydrogen isn't totally clean. This isn't a zero-emission vehicle, after all, but the bulk of the exhaust is water vapor, with CO2 and N2O levels are 1 to 30% of acceptable levels. A dedicated hydrogen V-12 could cut that to 1-10%. Reducing costs, cooling and sourcing the hydrogen are also challenges to be met. Current methods of producing hydrogen actually generate MORE CO2 than a straight gas engine per mile. Switching to solar, wind and hydroelectric generation will help reduce that significantly.
The final, and scariest, issue with hydrogen is its perceived flammability. BMW assured the author that hydrogen is no more of a threat than gasoline and pointed out that the Hindenburg and Challenger disasters were not caused by the fuel. Sophisticated sensors are in place, both onboard and at the refueling stations, to shut down fuel flow when leaks or other problems are detected.
Further development and a larger infrastructure will help bring this type of experiment closer to reality. As a first step in the process, 100 Hydrogen 7s will be put into test fleet service next year. Drivers will likely be celebrities and politicians located near hydrogen fueling stations. We happen to know that Detroit and Los Angeles are quite well covered in that regard, although we wouldn't necessarily consider ourselves celebrities or politicians. We can hope though.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
joane 7:40PM (11/14/2006)
BMW's first hydrogen-powered car has a lot to be excited about. The byproduct of the engine's combustion process is almost exclusively water vapor, which comes out of an exhaust pipe. However, some nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide are emitted, so the Hydrogen 7 is not a zero-emission car.
Reply
PPC Advertising 7:19PM (11/14/2006)
I've always loved 7 series,but this model doesn't seem
very attractive to buyers.Less horsepower.I guess price will be much higher. Another issue is that Hydrogen is very flammable. But this is just my thoughts.Since I live in LA I'll visit auto show to get more information.
Reply
The other Bob 11:32PM (11/14/2006)
And I thought E-85 was tough to find. Where can I fill it up with Hydrogen?
Reply
enayem 7:33PM (11/14/2006)
Mentioning hydrogen is flammable is like saying "Oh yeah, gasoline is flammable." Hydrogen can actually be LESS flammable then gasoline, its self-ignition temperature is about 550 C, whereas gasolines is 228-501, based on the grade.
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/fuels-ignition-temperatures-d_171.html
Reply
sp 8:22PM (11/14/2006)
I want to know what mpg does this 5,000lbs monster get out of its V12 when running on normal petrol? 5mpg? And since there are like, 5 hydrogen stations around the world.......
Reply
RZ 8:30PM (11/14/2006)
#4 You obviously have a valid point, however remember when everyone was saying that hydrids would never take off?
Reply
nipponboi 9:08PM (11/14/2006)
BMW is europe and not good. Honda will make hybrid hydrogen car and show BMW. Nippon Power will save world from american greenhouse gassing not you american or europeian.
Reply
BJ 9:31PM (11/14/2006)
#4 'sp',
Check your math, for this car to get 5mpgs it would have to have an 80 gallon tank to have the 400 mile range. This car in fact has a 19.5 gallon tank and gets around 20 mpgs.
#6 shut your hole. Japan is not the savior of the world. BMW is european and makes much better cars than Honda, Acura, Lexus, Toyota, Nissan, Infinity or any other Japanese auto company. General Motors in America already has working hydrogen cars and has had major accomplishments in hydrogen technologies. I have never even seen or heard of a Honda hydrogen concept car or heard Honda even knew how to spell hydrogen.
Reply
sp 9:55PM (11/14/2006)
Who knows what they used to base their estimate - 55mph on the highway? :-).
Problem is that this is not mass produced car, it is limited car that costs so much that they will lease them to drivers and not sell them.
It has nothing to do with hybrids, since no additional infrastructure was needed and Prius alone sold more than 500,000 copies around the world.
Now imagine Prius costing $500,000, getting 10mpg and having 1 gas station within 1,000 mile radius to fill up with hydrogen, which is actually not zero emissions AND due to sheer power needed to produce it, it actually uses more CO2 than petrol powered vehicles.
So what is it for? It is worse for enviroment, it gets poor performance and poor mpg, and it is ridiciously expensive.
Now show me how this is better than 5x cheaper LS600h which is twice as fast, 50% more economical (when this crap is using petrol) and pollutes less.
Reply
Mike 10:09PM (11/14/2006)
BJ honda has some of the finest engineers employed on this planet.
The implication that the organization as a whole could not figure out how to spell a word says nothing except that you are yet another worthless troll.
What's the difference between ricetrolls and eurotrolls? Nothing, really.
Reply
MJM 10:31PM (11/14/2006)
Why the 6.0L V-12 for only 260hp? Could they have produced the same power output with a smaller engine size?
Reply
Steve Hanna 10:39PM (11/14/2006)
Kudos to BMW for thinking outside the box-trying something different. Hydrogen is definitely going to be a player in the future. And no expensive batteries to replace down the road.
Reply
David E. Anderson 4:37PM (11/20/2006)
Hydrogen is very easily leaked since it will find its way through welds, and my question is what will be the effect of leaks on the ozone layer. Hyrogen + O3 makes H2O + O2. The other drawbacks seem to me to reduce this to a publicity stunt. I drive a hybrid, and have taken up and down the east coast three times this year with great results. Let's get real here.
Reply
far jr 11:36PM (11/14/2006)
This is a very good step in the same way as flex fuel (ethanol/gasoline) vehicles. It allows the owner to choose and will help get the infrastructure in place to declaw gasoline.
Reply
Al 11:44PM (11/14/2006)
Anything that can reduce the sale of diesel is good. Apart from the fact that they stink, and they cause asthma, the noise pollution is terrible. Why don't motoring journalists ever mention this? Oh yes, it's OK inside, but what about the poor people outside. Just listen to the diesel trucks around and the new VW and Merecedes cars.
Reply
Andy 12:17AM (11/15/2006)
Europe has been making a better hydrogen distribution effort than the US since there actually are European hydrogen fuel stations. Best of luck to BMW for this effort. But Ford also developed electric cars in the 1980s and '90s. We all know how well that ended up.
Reply
RZ 12:55AM (11/15/2006)
#15 Should everyone giveup where Ford failed? I doubt.
Reply
pauln 1:37AM (11/15/2006)
I you read the fine print, you'll find that the hydrogen in this car's tank evaporates constantly, at the rate of one ninth of the tank per day. Let it sit nine days, and the hydrogen is all boiled off. Lovely. And very practical. Not!
Reply
Pedro 9:16AM (11/15/2006)
#7 'BJ'... actually makes a good point, after insulting the Japanese, that Europe (and US a little) is making much greater strides in alternative fuel technology.
Building a hybrid (i am looking at you Japan) really isnt a solution... read: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2006/11/14/toyota-executive-engineer-sees-rising-hybrid-battery-prices-lit/
So when your cars batteries run out and wont charge in 5 years what are you supposed to do... trade them in... good luck! Wheres you mighty Nippon power now? At the dump! If japan wanted to build throw away cars they should make them cheaper!
Reply
Joe 11:02AM (11/15/2006)
BMW has been building hydrogen 7's for years... I think there's a new group of them every 3-5 years or so. I just don't recall if they have all been flexible between gas-hydrogen... and I don't recall them all being this anemic...
Either way... you don't see this coming from Merc or Audi/VW, do you? They have so much wound up in the deisel bandwagon it makes us sick (literally, Re: #14)
GM and Ford have been making steady progression towards hydrogen power... albeit most of it is fuel cell based.
Kudos BMW - keep making the best cars in the world.
Reply